News from APCA
National Safety Stand-Down 2021
This year's National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls is May 3-7. Don’t miss the Spanish-language webinar on May 4.
In Memoriam: Mark Beard
APCA is saddened to report the passing of Mark Beard, founder of Beard Oil Distributing and a friend and valued colleague to many in the association and throughout the pipeline industry.
Mr. Beard, 72, of Mt. Pleasant, Mich., passed away on January 31 at his home. He was born on October 27, 1948, in Mt. Pleasant, son of the late Leo M. and Glenna L. (Shuttleworth) Beard. A 1966 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School, he attended Central Michigan University and Northwood College.
From a young age, Mr. Beard worked alongside his father, Leo, at Hub Oil and Beard Oil and Supply. In 1984, he established M & L Petroleum Inc., where he was awarded the fastest-growing business in the state of Michigan. In 2005, Mr. Beard established Beard Oil Distributing among other companies, including his most recent venture, Beard Motorsports. From a young age he loved race cars. He started from building go-karts to realizing his goal of racing late models and Busch Grand Nationals at Daytona. In 2016, he established his own NASCAR Cup Team, running the #75 car, then the #62.
OSHA Form 300A Data Due March 2, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminds employers that the agency will begin collecting calendar year 2020 Form 300A data on Jan. 2, 2021. Employers must submit the form electronically by March 2, 2021.
Proposed Update: OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued a proposed rule to update the agency’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the seventh revision of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which is available for public inspection from the Federal Register here.
Safe + Sound 2020 Year In Review
Safe + Sound 2020 was a successful year! 1.9 million workers from 3,452 businesses participated in Safe + Sound Week. 68,590 participants regularly received safety and health messages via the listserv. Download the Safe + Sound 2020 End-Of-Year Infographic and share how you were #SafeAndSoundAtWork on social media. Thank you for your support!
Did You Know?
OSHA has resources to help protect workers in the construction industry from exposure to the coronavirus.
Ogletree Reports on New EEOC Guidance for COVID Vaccinations
On December 16, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued revised COVID-19 guidance addressing questions related to the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations to employees. The guidance now addresses several common questions that employers have raised with respect to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Greg Guidry, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., provided APCA with his firm’s report on that development, which includes a link to a summary prepared yesterday, and other firm resources available on this subject. If you have questions, contact Greg at
APCA Journal - 1st Quarter 2021 Edition Available
The latest edition of the Pipeline Contractors Journal is in the mail but you can avoid the wait by reading it online.
We'll preview the 2021-2024 Pipeline and Gas Distribution market, look at the the "New Green Deal" and much more.
Take it with you. The APCA Journal is optimized for reading on your phone or tablet.
OSHA Quicktakes
OSHA inspectors have removed 624,070 workers from COVID-19 hazards during the coronavirus pandemic. OSHA's online newsletter provides the latest news about enforcement actions, rulemaking, outreach activities, compliance assistance, and training and educational resources.
Washington, D.C. Convention Cancelled
APCA Members,
2020 has been the most unusual and challenging year in most of our lives. At APCA our objective has been to get the association back to business as usual as quickly as possible, which is why after cancelling the 2020 convention in the Bahamas, we worked diligently to promote, plan, and execute a rescheduled convention at Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. Sadly, many of the states and cities in the U.S. have taken a very cautious approach to COVID-19 that well exceeds social distancing and wearing masks. The District of Columbia has been one of the most restrictive jurisdictions in the country, and it instituted a mandatory quarantine period for anyone traveling from 31 states (as I write this). In addition, the city government has failed to move D.C. into phase three, which would have made it legal for APCA to hold its convention in October.
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